Supporting device



Sept. 15, 1942. o. A. CUMFER SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed A 5, 1939 INVENTR I Dolzala A. (mfer' 1 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1942 QFFICE SUPPORTING DEVICE Donald A. Cumfer, Ridgewood, N. J., assignor to Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of N ew York Application August 3, 1939, Serial No. 288,094

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting sewing machines.

In the sewing or needle industries it is now customary to provide tables or benches with a top having an opening or cutout to accommodate a sewing machine, or more than one, in spaced relation.

The prior or usual practice of securing the sewing machine directly to the table resulted in adverse vibration and noise, the table top very often acting like a sounding board.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a vibrationand noise-absorbing support for sewing machines.

Features resulting from the attainment of this objective include the provision of a novel nesting structure, adapted to locate and hold a sewing machine upon resilient means whereby noise and vibration is efiectively absorbed. Another related feature is the provision of resilient means engaging the sides of the sewing machine, for

yieldingly locating it against sidewise displacement and vibration.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a single type of cutout or opening in the work table whereby large as well as small sewing machines may be advantageously accommodated.

To this end the present invention provides a novel supporting plate with means thereon for quickly accommodating both wide and narrow sewing machines and for effectively locating and holding the same relative to belt cutouts or the like.

The present invention provides another novel and advantageous feature in the form of a very simple yet effective pivot and connection between the sewing machine and the supporting plate, comprising one or more simple sockets adapted to loosely receive one or more extensions on the sewing machine. With this structure no hinge pintles are necessary. Yet, it is possible to easily and quickly set sewing machines in place or replace the same, and possible to pivotally move the machine into and out of operative position on the table.

The prior usual practice of securing sewing machines directly to the top of the table had the disadvantage of allowing an edge of the base or cloth plate to project above the table or bench top and thereby restricted or prevented the free passage of cloth or other material to the sewing instrumentalities.

It is an object of the present invention to facilitates the free passage of cloth or work over the cloth plate and to the stitching instrumentalities.

In achieving this objective, the present invention provides a novel supporting plate, adapted to rest upon the table top, having recesses of a depth corresponding with the usual thickness of cloth plates, provided with angularly disposed sections leading gradually from the top of the table to the top of the cloth plate.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing, which shows the present preferred form of the invention:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the supporting plate, in place on a table or bench top.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, but with a conventional sewing machine shown schematically therewith.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the resilient supporting strip.

provide a support for a sewing machine which Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. i

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary view of one modification.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a resilient supporting strip.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detail it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, which is merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now in detail to the drawing which, by way of illustration, shows the form now preferred, the present invention comprises a supporting plate Hi. This supporting plate is pref- .erably made of cast iron, for economy, but may be made of other materials if preferred. In the main it includes overhanging flanges ll, [2, l3 and M adapted to rest upon the top face (5 of a supporting table or bench l6 and to limit downward movement of the plate relative to the table.

An opening H is normally provided in the table It to accommodate the usual under mechanism of a sewing machine [8, shown schematically in Fig. 2. To locate the supporting plate ll] of the present invention in proper relation to an opening H in the table It the present invention provides means such as depending flanges I9, 20, 2| and/or 22 which extend downwardly into the opening H. The flanges l3 and serve to locate and support the plate transversely relative to the table and relative to belt openings 23 and 24. Further, they insure a proper travel of the supporting plate longitudinally of the table toward and from the belt holes 23 and 24. The depending flanges 2| and 22 serve to limit movement of the supporting plate longitudinally toward and away from the belt openings 23 and 24 by engaging side walls 25 and 26 of the opening. Preferably the depending flanges I9, 2!], 2| and 22 are formed integral with the supporting plate II] at the time of casting. The opening I! in the table is so proportioned that the walls 21 and 28 thereof come rather close to the depending walls l9 and 20, while the walls 25 and 25 provide a clearance to the depending flanges 2| and 22 so that the plate H) with the sewing machine may be moved longitudinally of the table into proper relation to belt holes 23 and 24.

Now, of particular importance, it should be noted that the present invention provides a general recess or depression 29 preferably extending around all four sides of an opening 30 in the supporting plate |9,-preferably including the recesses or shelves 3|, 32, 33 and 34, the first three of which are particularly defined with the side walls 35, 36 and 31 respectively. The front and back ones 3| and 33 are preferably provided with upstanding lugs .38. with the plate -|El or may b studs or plates 39 secured thereto as shown in Fig. 5.

The recesses 3| and Y33 are adapted to receive resilient strips 40 as shown in Fig. 3, which may be made of rubber or other suitable yielding material. Preferably these strips are provided with notches 4| to accommodate the upstanding lugs 38. The cooperating notches and lugs 4| and 38 form an effective means for preventing longitudinal shifting of the strip in the recesses. The walls 35 and 31 and associated lugs 38 also prevent transverse shifting of the resilient strip in the recesses 3| and 33.

Now, as can be most clearly seen in Fig. 2, the resilient strips 4|] in the recesses 3| and 33, respectively, at the front and back of the supporting plate Ill provide a yielding or resilient cushion for supporting the base 42 of the sewing machine 8, the full weight thereof being imposed upon the central or broad flat section thereof.

To further protect or hold the sewing machine from the supporting plate, and thereby minimize noise and vibration, the resilient strips 4|! are each provided with an upstanding flange 43 adapted to cooperate with the front and rear edges 44 and 45 of the base 42. This upstanding flange effectively prevents the edges 44 and 45 of the base 42 from engaging the supporting plate, or more particularly the walls 35 and 31 thereof. These strips 4|] may be made with flanges of various widths or thicknesses to confine sewing machines with divers width bases. Thus, when a sewing machine with a wide base is used strips 40 with narrow flanges are used; whereas, when a sewing machine with a narrow base is used it is merely necessary to use strips 49 with wide flanges. The one plate H3 is thus capable of supporting various wide and narrow sewing machines.

Some conventional sewing machines are pro- These may be formed integral Usually such h hinge means necessitates securing a pair of separate hinge plates to the work table with a pair of pintles for effecting a connection therebetween. The present invention provides a simple yet effective hinge or pivot connection 41 for the sewing machine by merely providing one or more simple sockets 4B recessed in the top face 43 of the supporting plate I0 and adapted to receive the usual hinge or pivot extensions 46 on the back of the base 42 as shown schematically in Fig. 2, and fragmentarily in Fig. 5-. These extensions 46 fit loosely down into the sockets 48 while the machine is in a normal position on the supporting plate as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to pivot or tilt the sewing machine relative to the table H5 or the supporting plate |0 it is merely necessary to swing the complete frame arcuately relative to the supporting plate while the extensions 46 pivot in the sockets 48. These open sockets 48, receiving the extensions 43 freely, or without pins, thereby make it possible to easily remove or replace sewing maplate N).

If preferred, plain resilient strips 40a as shown in Fig. 6 may be secured to the shelves or recesses 3| and 33 which extend across the supporting plate. These resilient strips may be of rubber or other yielding material and may be glued or otherwise secured to the sections 3| and 33. Or, if preferred, the resilient means interposed between the base 42 and the supporting plate In may be made of one piece and extend to all four sides around the supporting plate, upon the shelves or recesses 3|, 32, 33 and 34, respectively, as by having two of each of the strips 40 and 40a alternately coextensively united. However, in practice the strips 40 shown in Fig. 3 on two sides of the supporting plate as shown in Fig. 2 have been found to work very satisfactorily. Also, the recesses 32 and 34 may be shaped substantially like the recesses 3| and 33 and may be provided with rubber strips substantially like the strip 40 in Fig. 3.

The depending flanges I9 and 20 of the plate l0 fitting down inside the opening I1 and engaging, or nearly engaging, the side walls 21 and 28 serve to guide the plate longitudinally of the table toward and from the belt holes 23 and 24 as shown in Fig. 1. When the plate is properly located relative to the belt holes it may be secured to the table as by screws 49 passing through the overhanging flange l2 and screwed into the wood table I6 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The resilient strips effectively cover the same so that there is no adverse engagement of the screws with the base of the sewing machine. These holding screws may also be passed through the overhanging flange at the front of the supporting plate It, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

To facilitate feeding the cloth or work to the top of the machine or onto the cloth plate section 50 of the base 42, the present invention provides gradually inclined cloth-guiding top faces 5| and 52 at the front and left-hand sides 53 and 54 of the overhanging flanges and I4. Thus, the front edge 44 and corresponding or coextensive side edge of the base 42 does not provide a shoulder resisting the feeding of work onto the top of the cloth plate as very often occurs when the base of the sewing machine is merely set upon the work table.

If preferred, the depending flanges I9, 20, 2| and 22 and. the upstanding lugs 38, as shown in Fig. 1 particularly, may be formed by providing small plates or studs 39 suitably secured to the plate I as by a recess 55 and a screw 56, as shown in Fig. 5. Such plates or lugs may be provided on all four sides of the supporting plates in place of the depending flanges I9, 20, 2| and/or 22.

Other variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a table top having a main opening with side walls; a sewing machine with a base having top, bottom and side surfaces; an adaptor-supporting plate with a top face; locating means in the supporting plate including a recess to accommodate the machine base; said base being proportioned so that its .top substantially coincides with the top face of the supporting plate; depending flanges on each side of the plate abutting the side walls of the main opening to slidably guide said supporting plate longitudinally of the table, a flange portion on at least three sides of the supporting plate and overhanging the table top, and cloth-guiding means formed in the overhanging flange and including an upper face formed of a plane surface with its lower edge resting on the table top and inclined upwardly therefrom to the top of the plate.

2. In combination, a table top having a main opening with side walls; a sewing machine with a base having top, bottom and side surfaces; an adaptor-supporting plate with a .top face; locating means in the supporting plate including a recess to accommodate the machine base, a resilient pad in the recess and contiguous the sides and bottom of the machine base to normally maintain the top of said base substantially coinciding with the top face of the supporting plate; depending flanges on each side of the plate abutting the side walls of the main opening to slidably guide said supporting plate longitudinally of the table, a flange portion on the supporting plate and overhanging the table top, and clothguiding means formed in the overhanging flange and including an upper face formed of a plane surface with its lower edge resting on the table top and inclined upwardly therefrom to the top of the plate.

DONALD A. CUIVLFER. 

